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On the witness stand at his impaired driving trial, former Maple Leafs captain Rick Vaive appeared candid, consistent and straightforward to the judge, even while divulging “humiliating and embarrassing” details about his personal life.

Like the fact he’s had problems controlling his bladder since he was 6. Or the fact that the 52-year-old has sleep apnea and requires a breathing apparatus to get a full night’s rest.

In reading her verdict, Justice Anne-Marie Hourigan noted that Vaive’s version of events never wavered and that two other “credible” defence witnesses corroborated his story. Alternatively, Hourigan found problems with the testimony of York Region Police Const. Carl Young, who stopped Vaive that night three years ago in Vaughan, as the former NHL star headed home after two days of golf in Gravenhurst.

Young told the court Vaive reeked of alcohol, had a wet stain at his crotch, had bloodshot eyes, was slow to react and needed help walking away from his car. But to Hourigan, video footage of Vaive at the police station shortly after showed none of this behaviour.

A breathalyzer test that showed Vaive had twice the legal limit in his system was taken outside the two-hour time frame. Instead of a slam dunk, that evidence could only be considered as one piece of a much larger puzzle.

All considered, Hourigan said she believed Vaive when he said he was exhausted, not drunk, the night of July 14, 2009. So despite the fact a breathalyzer test — administered outside the required two-hour time frame — showed Vaive had twice the legal limit in his system that night, Hourigan acquitted him of impaired driving charges in Newmarket court Thursday afternoon.

After the verdict, Vaive rose from his seat, smiled, then gave his wife a lengthy hug outside the courtroom. She then kissed defence lawyer Calvin Barry on the cheek. Both left with only “no comment.”

“Thank God we had the video because that saves the day,” Barry said outside. “Rick’s very happy. It takes a lot of pressure off his shoulders. He was very, very upset throughout this whole ordeal.”

Since retiring, Vaive, perhaps best known as the first Maple Leaf to score 50 goals in a single season, has been heavily involved in charity work, including with the Leafs’ community foundation and the United Way.

On the night of his arrest, Vaive was returning from a weekend charity golf event in Gravenhurst. Accompanying him that weekend was his former NHL teammate and longtime friend Bill Derlago. Court heard that Vaive had drunk about seven beers and a glass of wine on Saturday, between a round of golf, dinner and a poker game that extended into early Sunday morning.

Vaive had trouble sleeping that night because he didn’t have his sleep apnea machine. At noon on Sunday he had a can of beer, another four cans of Coors Light during Sunday’s round of golf, and then another back at the clubhouse.

Derlago, who was with Vaive for most of the weekend, gave similar evidence and told the court that when it was time to head home, he felt Vaive was fit to drive.

But after Vaive dropped off Derlago at his car, which was parked at Pine Valley Dr. and Highway 7, a concerned citizen who thought Vaive was stumbling, driving erratically and nearly hit a building after mounting the curb at a plaza, called 911.

Const. Young pulled Vaive over at the Highway 407 ramp in Vaughan. At first, Vaive told the officer he had only had one can of beer that day. Later he changed his story to six.

In her verdict, Hourigan said she accepted Vaive’s explanation for why he initially lied to police about the amount of beer he had been drinking. Vaive later testified he was “nervous and tired and the answer just came out.” For Hourigan, it was a reasonable reaction that didn’t undermine his credibility.

While weighing the evidence, Hourigan noted the concerned citizen only witnessed Vaive for about 30 seconds. Vaive said that if he was moving slowly it was because of a sore hip, exacerbated by two days of golf. He also occasionally hits the curb with his large truck, a Ford F-150. And as for the wet spot at his crotch, he said, it’s a problem he has dealt with his whole life.

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